Joseph thomas smith



(No Model.)

J. T. SMITH.

PUZZLE.

No.- 602,175. Patented Apr. 12, 1-898.

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JOSEPH THOMAS SMITH, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 602,175, dated April 12, 1898.

Application filed J ly 31, 1897. Serial No. 646,688. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osnrn THOMAS SMITH, secretary to a public company, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at 11 Harvey Road, Hornsey, London, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented a certain new and Improved Puzzle; and I do hereby declare that the'following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The invention relates to a puzzle.

My improved puzzle is constructed of two, three, or more sheets of stiff materialsuch as paper or card, celluloid,horn, and the like one, two, or more of which sheets are transparent, and preferably all said sheets having designs printed or otherwise impressed thereon. Said sheets are superposed and secured together in such a manner as to be capable of being moved relatively with regard to each other. The designs on the sheets are so arranged that in one position of the sheets relatively to each other the designs on all the sheets unite to form a word or words or an easily-recognizable device, such as a portrait, figure, or the like.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I will now proceed to describe,

by way of example, one method of carrying out the same in practice. 7

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of the undermost sheet, and Figs. 2 and 3 are views of the upper two transparent sheets, of a puzzle constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 4 is a view showing the three sheets secured together; and Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5, Fig. 4.

The undermost sheet A, Fig. 1, may be made of white card or the like of suitable thickness, the upper sheets B and 0, Figs. 2 and 3, bein g of celluloid, mica, talc, horn, or other suit able transparent material. The'three sheets are secured together at the center by an eyelet D or by other suitable means, so that the two transparent sheets can be rotated relatively to the undermost sheet and to each other. Meanssuch as a projection E, for example-on each sheet are provided for rotating the same. The designs on the sheets are shown in the first three figures of the drawings, and are so arranged that in one position of the three sheets relatively to each other the designs combine to form a complete devicea motto, for example, as shown in Fig. 4.

If one or two of the sheets be rotated on the axis, the word or picture is distorted and no longer recognizable. The puzzle consists in taking the device in this condition and restoring the sheets to their proper relative positions, as shown in Fig. 4.

It will be obvious that the complexity and difficulty of a puzzle of this description can be varied to a very considerable degree, depending upon the nature of the design on each sheet. Forexam ple, if aconsiderable portion of the completed device is impressed upon one of the sheets, another sheet or both remaining sheets being nearly plain, a clue is afiorded which can be readily followed up, and the complete device is produced.

In place of the designs, such as the moon and stars, shown in the drawings, adapted to form words, I may so arrange that the complete device forms a picture or a well-known figure-a portrait, for example-and in these cases I have generally found that'the puzzle is much more difficult of solution.

The mechanical construction of the puzzle is susceptible of considerable variation. For example, in place of a pivot at the center circular sheets, as shown, may be arranged to revolve within a rim, the middle sheet being fixed and the two outer sheets-namely, the

back and front sheets-being rotated by means of suitable handles secured thereto, or the sheets may be made square or rectangular in shape, adapted to slide one over the other. More than three sheets may be provided, if desired, and in some cases one or more of said sheets may be quite plane, having no design and serving to bewilder the solver.

A puzzle of this description may be used as an advertising medium. For example, the motto or Words may form an advertisement which appears when the puzzle is solved, or advertisements may be printed on the back or in the blank spaces of the puzzle, or unsuccessful solvers may be referred to particular parties for the solution.

I claim- 1. A puzzle, consisting of the combination of two or more relatively movable sheets of material, the front sheets being transparent, and all the sheets being secured together, and

certain of the sheets having portions of a given complete design, said portions being so ar ranged that in one position of the sheets relatively to each other, the said portions 011 all the sheets unite to form a word or words or an easily-recognizable portrait, figure, or the like, while in all other relative positions of the sheets, no word or words, portrait, figure or the like is formed.

2. A puzzle consisting of the combination of a disk A, provided with a projection E, and having representations of certain parts of letters; a second transparent disk 13, having a projection E and having representations of other parts of the same said letters, a third transparent disk 0, having a projection E,

and having representations of the remaining 

